Combat Zone: In the Trenches

Red Light founder Dion Giarrusso still the 'king of new girls'

CHATSWORTH, Calif. - Dion Giarrusso, the man steering his company Combat Zone through the turbulent waters of adult entertainment, is proud to call himself the "king of new girls" for his consistent ability to find new talent and bring it to the consumer.

It's not like he's a novice. Giarusso has a decade of experience to back him up. He gave a thumbnail sketch of his history: "I've been in the business since 1997," said Giarrusso. "I started out working for Elegant Angel. I started Red Light District in 2001, and then I sold the company in 2003 to my brother [David Joseph]."

Giarrusso explained that his hiatus was due to stress. "I was burned out," he said. "Burned out on the business. Just dealing with the whole thing. I just got sick of dealing with all the ungrateful assholes."

Combat Zone was formed after Giarrusso had some time to rest and regroup. "So we've been around for three years now," he said. "I was out of the business. I really thought I needed to retire, but I really just needed a vacation, so I came back."

So what's the significance of the company's name? Giarusso said, "The 'combat zone' is the red light district in Boston. It's where all the cruisers and all the guys go out at night looking for prostitutes. So Boston's red light district is called the combat zone." That Giarusso's first company had a name with a similar association is not a coincidence. Giarrusso elaborated, "I'm originally from New York, but my friend that I run with every day went to Boston College and he asked me, 'When you go back to the business, what are you going to call your company?' I said, 'I don't know.' He suggested, 'Why don't you call it Combat Zone?' I said, 'What's that?' and he explained it all to me. I figured why not? I started Red Light District and so I started Combat Zone."

Giarrusso's company produces a number of specifically-themed titles, but he's most proud of his ability to discover fresh performers. "I'm still the king of new girls," he said. "All these little punk midgets who think they're getting all the new girls before me are crazy. I'm beating them all."

Because Giarrusso is so proud of his ability to put new talent onscreen before the competition, he was asked how he manages to accomplish the task. "For me, it's easy," he said. "I'm a nice guy, I'm easy to deal with and my word is good. I have about 20 agent guys who come across new girls now and then." It all comes down to networking.

Giarrusso also claims that his business methods are unlike many on the scene these days. "I'm not like some of these other companies who flood the market putting 50 million titles out a week under 10 different companies with the same owner," he said. "I put out two to three titles a month, so it's easy for me to film 10 or 15 scenes a month...with all new girls. I shoot them in their first scenes."

Giarrusso wanted to make it clear that he's not bitter. He explained, "I'm just sick of reading in other publications about what geniuses some of these other guys are. They're nothing but fucking midgets."

However, times are tough right now for everybody, with so much product on the market. Giarrusso agrees, but added, "It's tough. You need cash and you need to make money from a variety of different sources. You can't just rely on DVD sales anymore. But it's cool. I don't take money from my company; it all goes right back into it. I keep putting back into this and, hopefully, one day it will all pay off."

Ultimately, Giarrusso's happy and excited with his company and where he's taking Combat Zone. But as he noted, it's not all about DVD sales anymore. To that end, Giarusso and Combat Zone have been diversifying. As he noted, "Lately we've really been pushing the broadcast end of things as well as pushing the website, doing foreign deals, VOD stuff ... we're just trying do it all." As the company's legend states: "Fresh ideas, fresh faces, the best quality."